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Best Fall Family Getaways In DFW

November 2, 2012 5:00 AM

Photo credit FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images

North Texans ushers out the hot days of summer and welcoming autumn with changing leaves, hayrides, fairs and festivals to boot. If you are planning a fall getaway in North Texas, here are a few favorites that you won’t want to miss. Pack up the family and head out for the best fall family getaways in DFW.

Click herefor reservationsThe Gaylord Texan resort in Grapevine sits just minutes away from the center of the Metroplex and from DFW Airport. Inside of the resort there are more than 4.5 acres of flowers, plants, bridges and fountains with dining options, shops and spas perfect for the whole family. It will offer its Thanksgiving Ballroom Brunch Nov. 22 with live entertainment, and Nov. 9 is the opening to ICE! featuring Dreamworks Merry Madagascar with large ice sculptures and snowtubing with Po. Throughout the month, kids may enjoy character meet and greets with the folks from Shrek and scavenger hunts throughout the resort.

Price: free except for the Conservatory and the Japanese Garden
Conservatory: $1 adults/50 cents for seniors and children 4 to 12/free children 4 and younger
Japanese Garden: $4 adults weekdays/$4.50 weekends and holidays/50 cents off for seniors/$3 children 4 to 12/free children 4 and youngerThe Fort Worth Botanic Garden is made up of 109 acres of beautiful flora and fauna in specialized gardens all over the grounds. The gardens are typically open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. Special options like the Japanese Garden located on the grounds hold a fall festival in October but all the gardens during the fall months will display pretty autumn foliage perfect for photographers. The serenity of the gardens make this a must visit for your fall getaway. Kids may feed the koi in the ponds of the Japanese Garden. There is also a conservatory on the grounds where kids may see all kinds of fruit trees and flowers. Self guided tour maps for families are available online for the conservatory, the Japanese garden and the Texas Native Forest Boardwalk.

Price: $5 adults/$4.50 for kids ages 4 to 17 and senior citizens 60 or older/free kids 3 and youngerThe Log Cabin Village is a living history museum in which families may learn about pioneer life on the range. There are a total of six log cabins dating back to the mid 1800s. Included is a school, a blacksmith shop and an herb garden. There are wonderful garden paths so families may take in the fall foliage. On Saturdays, there are special family events with even more historical interpreters, demonstrations, activities and crafts. This month kids may make their own candles and take them home.

Price: $9 to $15/free kids 3 and younger/$10 parkingAutumn at the Arboretum runs from September until the day before Thanksgiving. This annual event is very popular with families for the autumn season as kids may make their ways through the pumpkin patch and through the Great Pumpkin scavenger hunt. There is also a large hay-bale maze in the Pecan Grove and Pumpkin Village with four beautiful displays of your fairytale favorites such as Cinderella and the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. For the smaller kids, enjoy Mommy and Me Mondays and Tiny Tot Tuesdays with face painting, arts and crafts, petting zoo and Kindermusik at special times. The beautiful fall foliage and plants are a must see for this fall family getaway.

Texas Discovery Gardens3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75210
(214) 428-7476www.texasdiscoverygardens.orgPrice: $8 adults/$6 seniors 60 and older/$4 children ages 3 to 11/free kids 3 and youngerMore than 7.5 acres fill these beautiful gardens within the Fair Park grounds. In addition to being adjacent to many of Dallas’ favorite museums such as the Museum of Nature and Science and the Dallas Aquarium, Texas Discovery Gardens also has its own butterfly house and Insectarium with a daily butterfly release. Explore 10 themed areas in this garden including a wildlife pond, a scent garden, shade garden and an heirloom garden.

Heather Buen is a social media and communications consultant as well as a mother of three that has lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for over ten years. She covers all things family and has experience as both a writer and single mom. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.